1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to a dispensing closure with a retracting end, for containers.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Traditional stopper systems having so-called "pour spouts" are known, especially for cleaning products, cosmetics or certain beverages.
Generally, the pour spout is fixed on the neck or the ring of the container, while a cap covers said spout by being screwed on the neck.
It is understood that in order to use a container equipped in this manner, it is of course necessary to have previously removed the cap completely.
In addition, dispensing closures, also known as "service closures" are known that advantageously replace the simple stoppers or caps requiring unscrewing, said closures remaining contiguous to the container, whereas the opening and closing is done via a special maneuver of the closure.
In order to retain the advantages of both the above-cited pour spout as well as the service closure, and also to ensure that certain wiping operations for the spout are possible, a dispensing closure has already been envisioned, as described in the French patent No. 2 631 318. As described therein, the closure is of the type comprising a cap that is fixedly mounted in axial translation with respect to the container, but at least one of whose actuating parts is rotationally mounted, and which is equipped with at least one passage opening in which an end piece equipped with a product dispensing aperture is movably mounted between at least one retracted closing position and one projecting opening position. A closure element designed to be secured on the neck of the container is equipped with a stopper intended to block or free the aperture of the end piece when the latter is in the retracted closing or projecting opening positions respectively, the movement of the end piece being ensured by the combined means provided thereupon, in the cap and on the closure element.
In this known device, the cap and the end piece are affixed during rotation and free during translation, while the end piece is screwed and unscrewed on the closure element in such a way that during its helical movement, the end piece rotates at the same time as the cap.
It is also understood that in such a structure, the entire mechanism is positioned externally with respect to the neck of the container, and this proportionately reduces, in order to have an acceptable external volume, the diameter of the opening of the neck due to the addition of thicknesses of the elements and therefore limits the filling rate of the container.
In addition, the height by which the end piece exceeds outside the cap is limited by the height of the closure element on which the end piece is screwed, and this makes this device ill-adapted for certain types of use.
The latter disadvantage is the reason for which the instant invention proposes a closure of the above-cited type, but it is noteworthy in that the end piece is slidably mounted, though fixed during rotation in the closure element, while the combined means of the end piece and the cap are screwing and unscrewing means that are respectively arranged on the external wall of the end piece and in an internal collar of the rotational actuating part of the cap, such that the rotation thereof in either one direction or the other, causes the screwing or the unscrewing of the end piece in the collar and thus its sliding, without turning, in the closure element, the end piece being therefore able to go from its retracted closing position to its projecting opening position or vice-versa.
In this way, since the mechanism is housed within the neck of the container, the neck necessarily has a wide opening, and this favors the filling of the container.
In addition, the end piece can exceed substantially towards the outside because the mechanism that enters the neck of the container, or even in the container itself, has a height that can be greater than the external height of the closure, and is not, in any case, limited by the external height.
Preferably, the combined screwing and unscrewing means of the cap and the end piece are such that a rotation of the rotational actuating part of the cap respectively in the trigonometric or retrogressive direction with respect thereto, causes a screwing or an unscrewing, respectively, of the end piece in the collar and thus an opening or a closing movement, respectively.
Advantageously, the combined means of the cap and the end piece comprise a threading or projecting means arranged in the collar and combined means arranged on the external wall of the end piece in the form of projecting means or respectively a threading.
According to one embodiment, the cap is made all in one piece, and is rotationally mounted on the neck of the container, the actuating collar being obtained by an inner hollow shaft of the cap, arranged coaxially with respect to the opening of the cap.
In this case, due to reasons of manufacturing and cost related problems, the inner hollow shaft of the cap is split diametrically so that it can be extraction molded.
Indeed, it is well known that an extraction mold, as compared to an unscrewing mold, is much less costly and in addition, it allows for greater manufacturing speeds.
Especially, but not exclusively, in this case, the closure element has a central skirt adapted to surround the hollow shaft of the cap on which it can rotate, such that the hollow shaft of the cap, though split, remains maintained perfectly.
Other special characteristics can naturally be provided, and this is how, for example, according to one embodiment, the external wall of the end piece and the internal wall of the hollow shaft of the cap are equipped with elastic means that cooperate with one another by gripping in the retracted position so as to cause an audible signal and/or a locking during opening and closing, by the forced passage of the means on one another, during the translation of the end piece.
However, it is entirely possible to envision an embodiment wherein the cap has a fixed outer covering, the rotational part being constituted of a collar controlled by a lever that projects outwardly through a window arranged in the fixed covering.
The combined sliding means of the end piece and the closure element are, for example, constituted of grooves or ribs arranged on the end piece and ribs or grooves respectively arranged in the closure element, and according to one embodiment, the end piece has a cylindrical tubular part that covers the stopper of the closure element, said stopper being present in the form of a shaft, whereas the combined sliding means of the end piece and of the closure element comprise vanes arranged at the lower part of said shaft forming the stopper and combined flutings arranged on the internal wall of said tubular part of the end piece.
In order to especially ensure a double seal, the invention proposes an embodiment that is noteworthy in that the closure element comprises a well that extends into the neck of the container and in which the end piece slides, the well being closed at its base, but comprising lateral windows for the passage of the product, whereas the shape and size of the end piece are such that in the retracted closing position, the external wall of the base of the end piece blocks the windows in such a way that the end piece and the closure element ensure a double blocking of both the cap opening as well as the passage windows of the closure element.